In hot 20 degree temperatures Southgate Men battled Reading to a dead heat at Sonning Lane last Saturday.
Huw Stevens and his players made the journey to Berkshire knowing they needed a response after the 1-5 home defeat the previous week. It was a much changed team with James Hickson the NZ Blackstick player returning from his red card suspension joined by fellow Kiwi- Xavier Guy, as well as Si Walker, Richard Swan and Ryan Grey with Akshay Palanniapan returning in goal. The team back to full strength managed immediately to come the blocks with real intent causing Reading into some early deep defence.
Stevens had moved captain John Sterlini from centre back into the attacking midfield and he immediately showed his intent with balls meaning fired into the Reading D. Yet the attacking intent left the side open to a couple of deadly Reading counter attacks which Akshay between the sticks of the Gate goal saw off without trouble.
Southgate’s Barney Bithell. Reading v Southgate – EH Men’s Premier Division Relegation Pool at Reading Hockey Club, Sonning Lane, Reading, UK on 18 April 2026.
Photo by Simon Parker/SP Action Images
Chances began to come at the other end too with an early corner won and well run down by the Reading defence Chris Wyver, the Reading keeper, commanding his D with real authority throughout the game. The hat trick hero of the previous week Jamie Rawlings was largely kept quiet and the Southgate defence led by Mo Gandhi proved robust although as the game wore on errors began creeping into the passing lanes with the sticky pitch causing mis-traps and turn overs.
A scramble in the Reading D led to umpire Campbell Reeman awarding a flick in the 16th minute which Xavier Guy took up to convert and the game went into half time with the score poised at 0-1 to the visitors. Yet Southgate have let in 80% of their goals in Phase 2 in the 3rd quarter and the Gate supporters were well warned to expect choppy waters in the same period as Reading immediately responded with a disallowed goal by umpire Chudasama and then disposing Guy on the outside of the Southgate D and with a man overload forcing a foul in the circle which saw Umpire Reeman award his 2nd flick of the game which Rawlings duly converted in the 45th minute.
Southgate’s James Hickson. Reading v Southgate – EH Men’s Premier Division Relegation Pool at Reading Hockey Club, Sonning Lane, Reading, UK on 18 April 2026.
Photo by Simon Parker/SP Action Images
What followed there-in was not pretty, rather nerve shredding for the supporters of both sides with chances coming at both ends. Palanniapan in the Southgate goal being forced into a series of crucial saves for his side- at the other end Hickson’s flick was well run down for a second time by the Reading defence and despite efforts in the heat of the dying sun the game roared to a feisty but stalemated 1-1.
The result mirrored the other Phase 3 relegation play off between Brooklands and Beeston and sets up a very tasty home fixture between Southgate and Beeston with next season very much on the line for both clubs.